Perfect Present
by WinterPolaris
Summary: Cho is trying to decide what to get Cedric as a Christmas present.


Disclaimer: JKR owns all.

Cho spent the past few weeks agonising over what she should give him for Christmas. What could you get for a boy who has everything, who was on his way to the ultimate prize of eternal glory? Those Honeyduke's toffees that he loved so much might be a nice choice for a crush during first year, but they were a juvenile option now. Something from Zonko's, perhaps, but that didn't seem appropriate to her now that they were… what were they anyway? It didn't bother her too much that they were still in the no man's land between friendship and relationship. If anything, it made her giddy thinking about the potentials. Life was, after all, about possibilities. The thought of this becoming that mysterious "something more" was tantalising, but she told herself to not get her hopes up.

Christmas has finally come and she gave up at last, but the feeling of guilt could never escape her. She was just glad the Yule Ball served as a distraction from the seemingly inconsequential subject of gift-giving. Surely, if all of Hogwarts were concerned about dancing partners and fancy dress robes, no one would even have the opportunity to stress over presents.

"What's wrong?" Cedric asked quietly as they walked from the Great Hall to the courtyard, his voice barely above a whisper. He looked incredibly dashing in his dress robes, and Cho liked the way his hair became a bit unruly after dancing the night away. She still remembered the way her heart stopped when she saw him waiting at the bottom of the staircase, his eyes shining as he looked up adoringly at her. The effect he has on her was quite unnerving, but she must admit that she secretly loved it.

She walked gingerly towards a bench as he followed, careful not to slip on the icy ground when she sat, the stone cold to her touch. She turned away from him and looked towards the night sky, slightly embarrassed by her childish concern. "It's nothing," she dismissed a little unconvincingly.

He followed her gaze, blinking curiously at her uneasiness. "Tell me, please," he pleaded gently, his hand reaching inconspicuously for hers. Her hand was still cold from the night air as he stroked the smooth skin slowly with his thumb, circling the surface on the back of her hand.

His tender contact sent little thrilling shivers down her spine and made the left side of her chest jumped with a small pitter-patter. She shifted her body to him as she turned her head back to face him and was met by his grey, searching eyes. Brushing a loose strand of hair back behind her ear with her free hand, she gave him a weak smile. "It's silly, really silly," she squeaked.

Cedric slowly pulled her hand closer to him, resting it over his heart. Cho could feel the warmth of his body radiating through the robes and his steady heartbeat under her palm, causing her own heart to race furiously. "I won't laugh, I promise," he declared sincerely, his eyes determined.

She looked up at him, raising her eyebrows for a moment. Her teeth involuntarily bit her bottom lip slightly, a nervous habit she developed when she was young. She felt her heartbeat synchronising with his, her breathing following the slow rise and fall of his chest. "It's just that… I didn't get you a Christmas present," she confessed timidly, shaking her head inwardly at her silly girliness.

Cho was expecting Cedric to go back on his words and let out a chuckle, no matter how small. Instead, he surprised her by looking intently at her, his lips curling into a soft smile that reached his eyes. How dare he, enchanting her with his features like this when all she wanted to do was to hide her face after revealing this little secret. He brought his hand up to her face as her eyes closed, as if this was reflex, what she was supposed to do. She could feel his calloused fingers tracing delicately down her cheek and jaw, tilting her head as she leaned into his touch.

"Oh, but you have, Chang," he breathed out slowly. She looked up at him quizzically as he tipped her chin up lightly with his finger. Her eyes remained confused while her lips parted ever so slowly, his thumb faintly moved along them. He could feel her warm breath escaping her mouth and landing on his skin, the sensation tingling him as it mixed with the cold December air.

Despite the dizziness swarming in her mind, Cho managed to maintain her composure, steadying herself against him. "What… what do you mean?" she asked meekly, struggling with every syllable. She has always found him intoxicating even from afar, and the present closeness only allowed her to drink in his scent more than before. The affectionate touches he has made on her cheek and jaw, and now her neck as he pulled her in closer, sent tiny, pleasant shocks through her body. She could tell that she was now utterly and hopelessly getting weak at the knees, however clichéd that may be.

Cedric leaned closer to her, resting his forehead on hers. He edged closer to her, closing the already intimate gap between them. She drew a breath in as his lips gently reached hers, meeting the soft flesh tentatively. Her eyes fluttered shut as she savoured the taste of pumpkin juice on his lips and that hint of peppermint aftershave radiating from his jaw against the scent of fresh snow in the air. She didn't want to part from him, wishing she could instead remain in this place, in this position, forever.

He reluctantly released her, but his hand continued to rest on the nape of her neck, relishing her warm and tender skin. Opening his eyes, he saw that hers were still blissfully closed, and he knew she was trying to imprint this touch into her memories as he did just moments ago. His fingertips ran against her jawline, stopping at the tip of her chin. He didn't feel he needed to verbalise his sentiments, but as smart and intelligent as Cho was, he realised that her innocence might have made her immune to what he would consider flirtatious actions. Secretly, he found that very endearing. "You are the best present anyone could ever, ever ask for," he offered earnestly, gazing intensely at her, as if to prove his complete and utter sincerity.

It was that moment when she smiled brighter than he could ever remember. It was that moment when he knew no more words were needed for her to understand how he felt. It was that moment when Cedric truly realise how deeply he has fallen for the beautiful girl before him.

"Cho?" he asked. As strange and silly as it was, he felt that he was suddenly very optimistic about everything in the world, including, especially, what they might become.

Her hand shyly found his, glancing up at him as he spoke her name. "Hmm?" She found her breath still hitched in her throat from his previous confession, afraid to let it go lest this all be a dream.

"Would you like to visit me over the holidays?" he requested hopefully.

He let out a sigh of relief when she nodded yes as her answer. "Of course I would! I'd love that more than anything," she replied, grinning enthusiastically as she thought about her newly formed holiday plan.

Reaching out his hand to touch a strand of her hair, Cedric sighed regretfully as he remembered how late into the night it was, wanting instead to stay with her forever. "We better get you back before we're caught outside past curfew. Even my being prefect wouldn't be able to save you then," he teased. She giggled as he stood up cautiously, offering his hand to her. She took it and linked her arm with his as she followed him out of the courtyard.

"In that case, you may have to supervise my detention," she quipped, engraving his perfect laugh into her memory along with the rest of this night. It was, she decided, the best Christmas gift she had, and could, ever receive.


End file.
